At the centre of Azampur intersection, there’s a pole which carries a DMP warning with the photo of CCTV camera saying: video surveillance for 24 hours.
However, the pole does not have a real camera in place. On the other hand, the Babubazaar CCTV camera is closed. Meanwhile, DMP claims that work is underway to place CCTV cameras.
Survey has shown that almost half of the CCTV cameras, installed by the ‘Law and order Coordination Committee’ are not working. Footage from active cameras is mostly grainy and unclear. During load-shedding, cameras don’t work. Due to power supply problem, cameras near Pink City don’t work properly either.
Questions have been raised about the quality of the cameras since there are complaints that photo quality deteriorates after six months or one year.
However, DMP says that the new cameras are better quality.
To prevent hijacking, mugging and other crimes, hundreds of CCTVs were installed in 2015 and 2016 though most are now inactive.
Only the cameras placed in Gulshan are in working order.
Regarding the Azampur pole without the camera, DMP’s deputy commissioner (north) Kamal Shoibal, said, “We don’t know what happened in the case of that particular camera but there are other cameras in the area which are working.”
Some DMP officials say, “We have installed high resolution cameras now and new CCTVs are being placed on the road from Uttara to Kajla in Jatrabari.”